Dear Vodafone,
It’s been 5 years now since we first got together. I said back in 2006 that I love you and that I would never look at another mobile phone provider but things have changed since then.
You’ve changed since then.
I used to phone you up and you’d answer within seconds. You were always happy to hear from me and did whatever you could to help. But these days I sit on hold for ages, and when I do get through you are rude and unhelpful. You’ve even hung up on me.
It’s been going downhill for a while now. It just seems you don’t want us to be together anymore. I’ve tried to talk to you so many times to try to sort things out between us but you just push me away or tell me it’s my fault or try to pretend there isn’t even a problem.
You add extra numbers to our bill that we hadn’t asked for. You say you’ve made requested changes to our account but it never gets done. You promised to replace the broken phone that’s still under warranty, but you still haven’t. You say you’ll refund us for mistakes you’ve made, but we have to keep chasing you to get it done. You take money out of my bank account that isn’t yours. You say you’ll call me back, but you don’t.
We just can’t go on like this any more.
Recently you added over £500 to my bill for data charges because you forgot to add the Blackberry service to one of our phones (which would have meant I paid more like £15). After much arguing you finally agreed to reduce the charge to £250 and implied I should be grateful.
How can you think that’s acceptable? We’ve been together so long and now you treat me like this? I don’t understand where it all went wrong. Was it something I did or said? I’ve always been good to you. I paid my bills on time, I paid you compliments in public, I told all my firends how great you are. Haven’t I been a good customer? I just don’t understand why you’re treating me like this.
I’m not naive, I know that when I’m not around you talk to other customers that mean more to you than I do. I only have seven phones with you which is probably below average for your typical business customer, but I’m sure I’m not as worthless as you’ve been making me feel lately.
I’ve been speaking to some of my friends about the relationship they have with their mobile provider, and I can’t help feeling envious of what they have. It reminds me of the good times we used to have that now seem so distant and long ago.
I don’t want to lie to you, so I’ll come clean. I’ve started looking for someone else, someone that appreciates me, answers the phone when I call and doesn’t try to blame everything on me.
I will miss you and I’m sure that occasionally, perhaps late at night laying awake in bed, I will wonder what could have been – what the future may have held or us if only things went differently.
We had plenty of good times together, so I’ll try to just remember those and not dwell on the bad times.
I hope you see the error of your ways and don’t end up losing everyone that’s around you. You need to listen to what people are saying about you before it’s too late – you used to be so great, but now people want nothing to do with you.
Take care of yourself, Vodafone. I really do wish you the best for your future. I know that deep down there’s still a great company in there somewhere.
Duane
x x x
![[Post to Twitter]](http://blog.kashflow.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter-micro3.png){kind=icon}
![[Post to Delicious]](http://blog.kashflow.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-delicious-micro3.png){kind=icon}
![[Post to Digg]](http://blog.kashflow.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-digg-micro3.png){kind=icon}
![[Post to StumbleUpon]](http://blog.kashflow.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-su-micro3.png){kind=icon}
Tags: Vodafone
This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 at 10:18 am and is filed under Ramblings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Vodafone are the pits these days. I would have left them when my last contract ended, except they gave me so much extra foir free I relented and stayed. That was a mistake on my part, being tempted by the shiny gifts, but it’s one I won’t be making again. Both myself and my partner will be leaving at the end of our current contracts.
Vodafone may be bad but stay well away from orange they are 10 times worse.
Spoke to Vodafone when trying to arrange some phones for the school, never phoned them back, they were rude, spoke down to me were not interested.
02 on the other hand were, and still are fantastic. Vodafone missed out, because we are an easy revenue stream in terms of we pay our bills without asking for a lot in return – 02 not only got the original order, we were so impressed we have added another 6 phones to our contracts, and had it all sorted and delivered and being used within a week.
@David Anderson – my dad had a similar offer and thats why he is staying with them, if they werent offering these deals then they would be loosing a lot more customers.
Although I live in Jersey (and we don’t have _quite_ the same phone companies – they are sort of bastard offspring), I use Airtel Vodafone.
They had the best deal at the time. It’s still a good deal. It’s PAYG and extremely cheap. However, there are two serious flaws:
1. I don’t get much signal. Anywhere. This is what we tend to call a “pisser” when the whole idea is communications.
2. They text me. Lots. To tell me about Happy Hour. Let me tell you my friend, if you text me twice dailiy to tell me about happy hour, the end result is NOT an increase in my happiness!
I used “real” Vodafone for a few years on the mainland. I fell out with them when I tried to close my account (same thing happened with O2, actually). They billed me for the remainder (fair) – to an old address which they hadn’t been using for billing for over 6 months (not fair), and then referred it to a debt collection agent (very unfair, since I hadn’t had the bill to pay – and the “debt” was approx £5 – insanity!).
Rant over. ;)
@Matt Setchell, yeah they need the deals for retention. Customer service and the ability to access by bills are more important to me though (their website is unusable in some browsers), so regardless I’ll be leaving this timer around.
@Matt they used to send me several text a day, usually for the same thing over and over again. And I’d be texted repeatedly to accept system updates to allow access to services that I already had. I phoned them and told them to stop spamming me or I’d report them to Ofcom. The texts stopped.
I’ve been charged £180 by Vodafone for data usage, for at most checking a small html page once every day for a month.
When I signed a contract, I was given an ex-vodafone customers number rather than a new one, and still to this day I receive calls and messages looking for someone called Mark.
My contact was £25 a month. At the end of the contract, I changed tariff and now pay £8.50 per month for almost DOUBLE the call time and SMS messages I used to get when paying £25 p/m.
Don’t get me started on their utterly unusable website or we’ll be here all day.
We’ve got 11 phones with VF and want to leave but we’re in until Feb ‘10 which means if we left now we’d be liable for about £4k. O2 won’t pay that for us, or will they? Problem is we need to change our contract now to a data inclusive but if we did it now then we’d be lock to VF for a further 24 months – nightmare.
I used to work for them, so I know first hand that it can be pretty dire. They think they’re invincible, so keep prices high, and mislead with their deals and advertising.
They think their ‘brand’ will keep them ahead of competitors(but even that changes every 6 months!). They need to learn that customer service is a HUGE factor!
I’m with O2 now, and not had any problems.
@ David Anderson
The new 02 website is pretty good – not perfect but much better then others.
@ Lou – their brand is what attracted me when I used to be a customer, there brand is now associated witha growing number of unhappy customers!
@James Davis We’re in a similar position. But our expiry dates for the different phones are staggered due to them coming on at different times. Real pain+expensive to move, but it’s going to be cheaper than lettign them bill us what they please and taking more money from my account than they’re entitled to.
Plus my colleague that deals with them is threatening to quit over the stress they’re causing her.
Hi Duane,
Thanks for your detailed account there! I’m disappointed to read about the experience you’ve had with us, and am here to turn this around for you. It’d be a shame for us to part company after all this time!
If you drop me an email with your name, mobile number and a link to this blog to the email address I’ve provided, I’ll be in touch as soon as possible to help.
Thanks,
Thomas Rushton
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK
I too was a long time Vodafone user, and their increasing lack of any customer service and loyalty (even though I was giving them a lot of brand loyalty) just made it all the easier to switch when the iPhone was released.
I have been with O2 since the iPhone was launched (Yeah, I am an Apple fanboi!), I would love to tell you that I have had great experience with their customer service dept – but I can’t!
The truth is that since the iPhone launch in November ‘07, I have not had any reason to contact customer services – Which I think says it all. My initial migration and upgrade to the newer 3G iPhone were both flawless!
Keep up the good work O2! (And Apple)
I’ve been with Vodaphone since 2002. Complimented them to friends and family, and have got them new customers. I also think I’ve spent a fair bit more than average, some months hitting £400 bills when I worked abroad.
After the way I was basically fobbed off for my last contract renewal I’ll be leaving them. I wasn’t offered an improved contract, no change in price, minutes or SMSs, and a phone that was out when I last renewed my contract. The service is just no longer what it used to be and clearly they don’t value my custom. I’ll most likely move my parents at the same time.
Hi Duane,
Sad to see how you’ve been treated.
It will be interesting to see what Thomas Rushton can do. Keep us posted.
D,
I’ll be honest with you; If you think you’ve been treated badly by Vodafone, wait till I tell you what Orange are like ;)
Thankfully, I’m now no longer tied up to Orange… But I’m still waiting on the cheque they said they’d send me with my remaining credit they’re due.
Why doesn’t Thomas Rushton leave his contact details in open forum so that the other customers and ex customers who have left Vodafone (me after 12 years) can actually contact him BEFORE they decide to move (or does his special level of service only step in if a blogger starts to make a fuss on the web?).
“Why doesn’t Thomas Rushton leave his contact details in open forum so that the other customers and ex customers who have left Vodafone (me after 12 years) can actually contact him BEFORE they decide to move (or does his special level of service only step in if a blogger starts to make a fuss on the web?).” I would love to know that too.
A lot of the comments about Vodafone here seem strikingly familiar. I had an eighteen-month contract with them a few years ago.
Yes, they gave me the old number of a presumably lapsed Vodafone customer instead of a brand new number – resulting in repeated calls and texts from various debt collectors looking for an “Alison” who studied at Northumbria University and owed them fees, not to mention endless spam texts from nightclubs in Newcastle for the whole eighteen months.
Yes, I had bills for seemingly random amounts. My £15/month contract somehow ended up at £25 for several months for no apparent reason. Various bits and pieces (text packs, data and so on) were added and removed from my bill without my knowledge. Money was taken not on the same date each month, but at a random point in time presumably picked for the convenience of Vodafone rather than me!
Yes, they somehow neglected to send me my final bill when I cancelled with them. The first I heard about it, the bill of approximately six quid had been referred to our old friends the debt collectors whom I paid as soon as I received the letter. Still, that “default” has made it difficult even now to obtain credit (or another mobile contract) despite having an otherwise clean credit record.
I’m now on pay as you go with (don’t laugh) Asda Mobile. Why? Because having tried a couple of other networks including O2 (who have brilliant CS) nobody can match the coverage of Vodafone, and Asda is just Vodafone in disguise but cheaper. On O2, I frequently pulled my phone out of my pocket to find “emergency calls only”. Don’t even mention 3. I hope Vodafone improve their service in the future – they have a great product (the network) and could be really strong if their labyrinthine customer service was streamlined.
I hear more and more stories like this as time goes on – I’ve had no problems with my Vodafone phone, but as it’s my UK phone (I live in France) I don’t tend to use it that much.
Hope you find a new supplier to treat you like the valued customer you are Duane :)
@Mark Littlewood
The Vodafone team are on the vodafone forum 24/7 and will respond to everyone in just about the same way, no blogging required. as far as i know they are the only network that do this.
had a similar problem with Orange, and now with O2 who are great (so far!!).
I think to be honest they all have so many customers ‘churning’ through their systems that none of them could care less. I cancelled 8 numbers with Orange, worth hundreds a month to them and they couldn’t care less.
@Nigel That’s not much help unless when you phone them they say “go and post on the forum”.
They’re a *phone* company and their primary means of customer service is the telephone and that’s where they’re failing big time. Different responses from different people and not implementing what they say they will (ie adding data packages, refunding charges)
Great post Duane. I’ve had a nightmare with Voda in the past, like everyone else has said, things getting added on, free minutes and texts only being applied when it suited them. I find o2 and absolute pleasure. My bills never seem to go beyond a certain level and they’re always easy to get hold of.
In my opinion one of the best services out there.
Rachael (@rachaelblogs)
@Duane Jackson i was just answering the question Mark Littlewood asked. don’t blame me.
@nigel sorry, didn’t mean to snap at you!
Hi Duane
Brilliantly scripted blog with a really strong message for the Vodafone’s and others of this world who think we are all just a number. Fair play to you!
I wish you every success with your new network provider!
Hi everyone,
I can see there are a number of you unhappy with service you’ve previously experienced with Vodafone.
I really want to help get this sorted for you all, and the best way for us to do this is for you to visit the eForum over at http://forum.vodafone.co.uk. Just register, start a new thread explaining the issue you’re experiencing and we’ll be along as soon as possible to help out. Just a heads up, anything account specific will be removed and then we’ll contact you by email to resolve it as we can’t discuss private matters on the eForum.
I promise you we’ll look into each individual case and do our best to resolve them, see you soon!
Thomas Rushton
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK
Tried Vodafone but poor signal – and I live mid-way between Canary Wharf and NatWest Tower (I know, Tower 42). O2 was no better but Orange has been great. I stick to phone calls and texts – nothing else. Try telling Call Centre staff you are recording the call – this works a treat.
If you live in North Norfolk and want a signal (probably) then Vodaphone is just about your only option. A choice would be a luxury!
Nice piece of creative writing.
@Sarah P – We live in North Norfolk with vodafone and can’t get reception at our house. Orange does work apparently and virgin.
Well it doesn’t get much better in terms of first impression for a brand new customer either as I apparently “won” a vodafone broadband dongle with 12 months subscription and that was a month ago and they are still sending it out to me.
Shame really as I was all excited at the time but starting to think maybe it was a hoax and I haven’t won after all. Have spoken to ukbf people though and they are lovely and explained they are chasing it up.
:)
@ Gary D. That doesn’t surprise me (you won’t be surprised to hear!), as you know, part of the fun is the hunt-a-signal lottery round here. I’m always swapping phones with colleagues/friends/strangers to see if one of us can possibly raise a connection – “….so,perhaps if I sit in the van I’ll be a bit higher and will get a signal…” etc etc
The butterflies, barn owls and hares more than make up for it though eh?
Hi everyone,
Just to let you know, anyone with any outstanding issues can now contact the Vodafone UK Web Relations Team directly at webrelations@vodafone.com, so if you’d like help, just email us your mobile number and an explanation of your query.
Thanks,
Thomas Rushton
Web Relations
Vodafone UK
Great post. It’s good to see that Vodafone have noted it – some companies still haven’t worked out the importance of public-domain customer opinion.
Switching mobile phone providers can be a bit fraught – see post on my blog – but the process works, at least for personal customers. Good luck with finding a new provider!
Hi all.
I was with Vodafone for years and then realised that the supposed good deal I was getting was not one at all, added to which the signal around North Wales where my extended family live was crap, and according to my family still is. And the signal in my house in Cardiff, where any other provider seemed to be fine. Added to which I experienced quite a few “down times” with no service, even when I had paid for a triband service, done all the right things before I went to the US and then found that Vodafone would not give me access to my service over there as they had not set it up properly, and because I was in the states would not verify me away from the uk, even though I had spoken to them at length before I left. So after quite a few years I have left and now use a provider that I find ok for my useage and a good signal in 95% of the areas I travel too, both here and abroad.
On another note. The A449 in South Wales is still a blind spot for all providers. Cant someone put a mast up there.
Avril :-)
Hi Duane,
We’re still really desperate to fix this all for you! Kirsty’s been trying to call today as discussed, but keeps getting voicemail? We’ll keep trying…
Tom
Web Relations Team
Vodafone UK
Hi Tom,
Initially one of your colleagues, Matt, phoned and said he was taking personal resposibility to get it all sorted. He gave me his email address. It’s going through to voicemail on Dominiques number because her phone is knackered.
I emailed Matt earlier telling him as much and giving him the office number. I’ve no idea who Kirsty is.
It’s under the contact link at the top of this page – 020 7403 0101 or 0800 848 8301 – don’t call the 0800 number from your mobile though, you’ll get charged for it : )
Hi Duane,
Matt was indeed going to handle this personally, but he’s not in at the moment so Kirsty’s about to call instead. Ring ring… :)
Reading this post is like deja vue, even down to Vodafone begging to be given another chance. Be warned you will be promised the earth to stay with them, however if it’s like my experience those promises will turn to dust when you receive your shiny new phone along with a contract that doesn’t resemble anything like what you agreed to!
Hey, about three weeks ago i order a phone of Vodafones website, which they managed to lose in the post. We rang them up many times over the two weeks trying to find out when were getting a phone. Finally we decided to go to a shop to confront them face to to face, they said they could do nothing without even fully listening to us. Then we rang them up again and they told us they’d send us a phone and we’d have it by tuesday. Tuesday came, no phone. We rang them again, they’d lied about sending it. They then did the same thing again, its now Friday and they say it will come on monday. If it dosnt were driving up to there head office and will not leave without the phone. They also had the nerve to send us the first months bill.
very interesting reading,me too deja vu. duane and nigel, you ought to get married,(or are you already).sorry, new to computers, new to emailing, etc,short of friends, this sounds like fun?????
RIGHT now, enough of the funnies, down to business(can i swear)(best not to eh?ok)
RIGHT this scum vodafone, full of themselves arent they,.
I also once had a contract with them, 12months, more expensive than PAYG, so you would think maybe a better service. ho bloody ho. end of 12 months, time to renew contract, get new phone.?? yea right B*ll***t. sorry mate, another 6 months yet.loads of other crap, needless to say i went back to PAYG.Had to stay with the scum,no coverage on other networks, cornered market(a few years ago, this).
tried orange, ho ho.tried o2, didnt use phone for a while, (maybe 2 months) got cut off.what i”m trying to say is they all seemed the same. i went back to vodafone,(3 or 4 years ago now), stayed on PAYG so that they cannot dip their thieving sticky fingers in my account, i only spend what i want to, only phone calls and texts, all is fine.
Time has moved on, communication is everything, supposedly more mediums (is that the right word?) even a yokel like wot i is, is now on the internet( even if it is someone elses) god ive even lurnt to reed and rite.
SO HOW IS VODAPHONE doing?????? RIP OFF, NO CUSTOMER RELATIONS, they dont care if you go to ASDA, cos ASDA are paying them anyway.(subcontract) I thought
it was illegal to have a monopoly. Sorry i got sidetracked, different arguement subject,(where was i ) oh yea, reading all your comments, sounds like its time to give o2 a go, cos i am cheesed off with vodafone, i went round all the local supermarkets for a link card to top up, nobody stocks them, even the supermarkets dont waste their time with vodafone (scum) Goodbye vodafone, youve pissed me off too often
OHH why did i do it why why why …… i was a very happy 02 customer for arround 5 years but i was tempted by the VODAPHONE salesman how wrong was i ,
customer service is crap i had waited for arround 2 hours yes 2 hours to sort out an over charge on my account , so i stopped the direct debt and went over to pay from there website so all i do now is pay for what i know i have used i have all the recent bill and data usage and compaired to 02 i am spending arround £20 a month more with the so called great service from vodaphone , i am waiting to be cut off now so what i am tied into a contract so what as i have 6 other phones with 02 and have the balls to go al lthe way with vodaphone to court if i have too , baisicly steer well clear of this Bogus company stick with what u know and dont get tempted by the suited man ~!
[...] apologies to “It’s over Vodafone. I’m leaving You.” var addthis_pub = ”; var addthis_language = ‘en’;var addthis_options = ‘email, favorites, digg, [...]
[...] BT had been in front of him he might have killed. His post was also written in a similar vain on this site – both are quite [...]
[...] are a little slower (see “It’s over, Vodafone. I’m leaving you“) but still making an [...]